Rapid monitoring for transuranic contaminants during a buried waste retrieval process is a key to a successful campaign of buried transuranic waste retrieval. It is important to track the trend in level of soil contamination and smearable surface contamination to assess how well the spread of contamination is controlled to avoid exceeding safety and operating limits. Therefore, analysis techniques to monitor the presence of plutonium in soil, constant air monitor filters, and smearable surface contamination at the lowest levels of detection and the quickest time are mandatory.
The purpose of this particular invention is to disclose a method for the rapid assay of plutonium in soil by L x- and .gamma.-ray counting techniques. The methods reported herein are intended to make an analysis technique available for routine use by employing equipment and instrumentation that is commercially available and by developing automated calibration, counting, and analysis techniques.